5 Steps to Stress Relief

Take some time and think about the week that has just passed. What first comes to your mind? Is it the long driving hours to and from your office, all the time spent figuring out a solution to that new project you are working on, the time spent to make dinner among others? It is really sad how our actual generation is a extremely busy one and most of us suffer from stress-induced anxiety more than any of the previous generations.

If you are like me, struggling to find a way to live a stress free life (literally), below are a few tips to stress relief:

1 - Acknowledge it. This sound just too simple, doesn't it? Even a little bit silly. But take some moment to admit to yourself that that something is actually stressing you is the first step to get rid of it. Many study shows that the majority of us take more than we can handle. By acknowledging that one more task will put more stress on this already hectic lifestyle, you can decide on what is right or wrong for you.

2 - Get yourself a massage. I don't mean that you need to explode your credit card to get one, neither you need to spend $300 on a hunky swiss masseuse though it might be a good idea if you can afford it but a massage is extremely good when it comes to stress relief, muscle relaxation. You can also get your partner to give you a massage, it might be a great idea to spend some intimate time together. You should also take advantage of the power of bribery, "if you massage my back for 15 minutes, I'll...", no one can resist that.

3 - Laugh whenever you can. We all know that laughing is extremely good to produce mood-enhancing endorphins, why not laugh at every little occasion you get? Whether it be just a huge and hot argument with your boss, that project has not been completed yet. When you are already stressed, every little thing will add more to it and being under pressure is really difficult to cope with things. Now you know what you have to do, grab that funniest movie that you have on your shelf and watch it with a friend, it will really help you.

4 - Sleep 8 hours daily. If you are actually sleeping less than 8 hours per day you should make a little effort so you can get your 8 hours every night. Sleep is extremely important to rest our body and if you do not sleep enough, you might wake up with your stress from the previous day and go to work with all the tension. This means you are just going to spend another stressful day. If sleeping through the night seem like a luxury you cannot really afford, you can try napping when you get back home after a day at work, rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour, it can really do wonders on how you tackle your time in the evening.

5 - Pamper yourself. Very often we are caught in the daily routine and we do not really have time to do those things that we really appreciate. It is important that you plan your day well and find a little time to do what you really enjoy, whatever it is, gardening, painting, writing. Do what really bring you joy, when you see what you have done it will bring you a feeling of accomplishment which is really good to relief stress.

You can try to start with the first idea, then move to the next on the following day. The order in which you choose is not really important as long as you can see changes in your lifestyle by trying one of the tips above. Many more tips are available in the e-book Conquering Stress.

:: Stress Management ::